On August 24th and 25th we introduced stunning at 2 more Turkish slaughterhouses, this time in Ardahan, Turkey (far north-east).
Together with a local representative from the Turkish welfare NGO “HAYTAP” we met with the city mayor, slaughterhouse managers and state vet to discuss animal welfare. Afterwards we educated them, plus the slaughtermen, on how a captive bolt pistol works and convinced them to phase out the slaughter of animals while fully conscious. We trained them on how to render cattle unconscious with a stunner so that the animals would collapse unconscious and not have to feel the pain of restraint, hoisting and throat-cutting. Proper stunning greatly reduces the suffering and fear Turkish animals experience during slaughter.
The usual slaughter conditions are really poor in Turkey where animals are hung up while fully alive by one leg and then literally have their necks hacked and sawed at by short knives. The workers were grateful and open-minded for this change. We leased out a stunner to the boss of each slaughterhouse and in exchange they promised to send videos monthly of it in use. We will remain in contact with them.
